Corrections_Today_September_October_2023_Vol.85_No.5

NEWS&VIEWS

one of these searches for your own facility. It is as easy as uploading a spreadsheet to the VRSS website with simple data points you already have on your population. Within a day, and often within a few hours, VRSS will tell you which individuals in your custody have prior military service. Furthermore, VRSS allows you to connect with a VJO specialist in your area who can provide support and resources to those individuals to complement your reentry efforts. It is a free resource that can help these veterans with rehabilitation and help your agency reduce recidivism within this population. If you are not sure where to start with VRSS, you can always consult your local Veterans Justice Outreach

Specialist or call your local VA facility. With VRSS and other VA re sources, it has never been easier to answer the question of how many incarcerated military service mem bers are in your custody. Remember that each of these individuals, at one point, took an oath to support and defend our nation — and each of us — with their lives. As part of our mission, we should connect them with the resources they earned and rightfully deserve.

BENEFITS OF USING VRSS • Requires no downloads or special training • Provides you with a better under standing of your population • Allows VA to target its outreach to Veterans in your population • Helps your Veterans access needed services • Make a difference in Veterans’ lives by connecting them with VA • VRSS is safe to use, as VA adheres to federal data protection and system standards to protect the data you provide

Peter J. Koutoujian is a former prosecutor, public defender, legislator, and public health policymaker who has served as Sheriff of Middlesex County since 2011.

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24 — September/October 2023 Corrections Today